As spring approaches and warmer weather ensues, avid RVers begin preparing for their next adventures on the road. The flexibility and freedom of having a home on wheels is the reason why some of our top social influencers are full-time RVers! They often post about their experiences of RV living and share essential items every RVer should have on the road.
Many RV social influencers are couples, which helps break up the responsibility of RV maintenance into more manageable tasks. Since women are an important part of the RV industry, we talked to a few of our favorites who demonstrate just how easy it is to maintain tire safety while on the road!
We had a chance to catch up with Full-time female RV’er, Julie of RVLove. Marc and Julie Bennett are RVers who live, work and travel from the road full-time. Since hitting the road in 2014, they have visited all 50 USA states, plus Canada and Mexico! Check out our interview with Julie below.
How did you become full time RVers and get started with a social channel?
When we first hit the road full time back in 2014, we were looking to add more adventure and experiences to our life. Marc was able to work remotely and I was in between jobs. I had been looking forward to do more blogging, learning how to make videos and building an online community. I really started our RVLove social channels as a creative outlet and a way to learn new things.
It became very rewarding when we realized that what we shared was helping to educate and inspire others to live a life they love. This has been the motivation for us to dedicate more time to our online presence and brand.
Eventually, our channels grew to require full-time effort from both of us. It was already generating some revenue, and this way we could focus all our efforts full time on RVLOVE.com and produce even more content. Marc quit his job in early 2017 and within 3 months, we launched an online school for new RVers called RV Success School. We worked with a major publisher to write the first book about the RV lifestyle Living The RV Life – Your Ultimate Guide to Life on the Road which came out in November 2018, and is already in it’s second print run! We’re thrilled with the response, and above all, knowing that it is providing so many people with sound advice to prepare them for life on the road.
What is your favorite part of being a full time RVer?
I love the variety and freedom, and the many places we get to explore. The people we meet along the way – we would never have had the opportunity to meet them in our ‘regular life’.
Being a full time RVer allows us to step outside of our comfort zone and expand our lives. It allows us to realize that there are many different ways to live. This creates a sense of freedom, more possibilities and the courage to try different things that can be both liberating and life changing!
You are a full-time RVer and social influencer. How do you balance both?
That’s something we are both still learning! Marc and I are fairly well known in the RV world, so we’re often recognized in campgrounds, at RV rallies or just out and about. For the most part, people are respectful and kind, and just want to say thanks for how much our content has helped them. We don’t share everything about our life online – our channel is more about educational content, and less “day-in-our-life.” One of the keys to keeping the balance is making sure we unplug from technology regularly and set boundaries around how we use it. We like to take breaks from the RV scene every now and then.
Approximately how many places have you visited, and what are your favorites?
We have traveled to all 50 USA states and some international locations. Over the past 5 years, we estimate we’ve stayed at well over 200 locations. One of the gifts of full-time travel is that we are able to visit places at their best time of year. We both feel very drawn to the desert south west, especially Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. Our top favorites are Sedona Arizona and Zion National Park, and have a soft spot for Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
Most popular RV trend you noticed this year?
I’ve noticed an increasing interest in smaller motorized RVs, like Class B and Class C motorhomes. They are easier to drive, maneuver and find a place to park and stay. In the past, mostly retired people were RVers, but that’s changing to a younger demographic as more working age families, couples and solos choose RVing. I feel this combination is due to increased awareness about RVing, and that technology enables more people to work remotely and live mobile. We’ve also noticed that baby boomers are hitting retirement age in huge numbers and are drawn to smaller RVs that can fit in their driveways at home.
Do you think a VIAIR portable compressor should be vital tool in every RVer’s emergency kit?
Absolutely! We feel that a VIAIR portable compressor is more than just an emergency item. It’s vital for everyday safety on the road! Taking care of your tires and the importance of tire safety is often overlooked and disregarded. This is why we place focus on educating people about tire safety.
Tire blowouts are one of the most common – and dangerous – issues for RVers. When you travel full time, you frequently change environments which can significantly change the pressure in your RV tires. RVs carry a lot of weight and proper tire pressure is critical for safety and ride quality. RV tires are expensive, so the more you take care of them, the longer they will last.
We are diligent about checking our tire pressure regularly. I’d say we use our VIAIR compressor at least once per month and not just for emergencies. VIAIR is one of our favorite gear items in the RV. It’s also handy for airing up inflatable kayaks, SUP, or blowing out the water lines in your RV for storage.
On a scale of 1-10, how difficult was it to air up/down using your VIAIR RV-Specific Portable Tire Inflator? How long did it take you?
We would rate our VIAIR at a 10, compared to our old compressor which we would rate a 5. Our first couple years on the road, before upgrading to the VIAIR, we had a lower quality compressor. It was loud and struggled to pump up to the higher pressure required for our large RV tires. The VIAIR is quieter, faster and easier to work with and the quality is extremely evident. When we upgraded to our diesel motorhome in 2018, we literally could not use our old compressor on the new RV tires, only the VIAIR was capable of inflating our tires correctly.
We’ve aired up four travel trailer tires from flat to full in less than 15 minutes.
As a company with many women ourselves, we love that there are more women involved in the RV scene, compared to before! Do you have any thoughts on this trend – of more women being in the industry? Do you have any advice for women RVers who are getting acquainted with RV gear?
I am so inspired by how many women of all ages – many of them solo – are hitting the road in an RV! We have met a lot more solo female RVers than solo males!
Women, together with their partners or solo, make a lot of decisions around RVing, whether it’s researching RVs or travel related gear. That’s why we are excited to see notice that more women are becoming a stronger force in the RV industry, which has historically been male-dominated. And, RV manufacturers are beginning to respond to consumer demand (many from women!) with improvements such as thoughtful design, attractive interiors and decor.
On our social media channels, we have a strong female audience on Facebook, Instagram and our blog, and have seen an increase in women viewers of our YouTube channel.
Essentials For an RV Road Trip
Maintaining tire pressure on big RV tires is easy with VIAIR’s tried and trusted RV-specific tire inflators. They provide all the tools you need to inflate your large RV tires all the way up to 130 PSI!
We recommend checking tire pressure while tires are still cold since heat expands them. This way, you avoid extra trips to the gas station, saving you money and allow more time to be spent on your next adventure. Maintain gas mileage, improve performance and create a smoother ride while your out on the road. Learn more about our products for RVers here.
This post is part of a blog post series where we feature women in the RV industry. To read our other posts, please go here.
If you have any further questions, you can always contact us:
- Call us at 949-585-0011 from 8AM-5PM PT, Monday-Friday
- Chat us with our website’s Live Chat feature from 8AM-5PM PT, Monday-Friday
- Email us at Customer Service to reach us after-hours, and we will reply to you the following business day.
